Unafraid Of An Unknown Future

Unafraid of an Unknown Future

I have always enjoyed getting in the car and going for a drive with no real plan or idea where I was going. (Logging Roads on Mount Rainier / Back Roads of The Ozarks)

In fact…sometimes I have gotten in the car and purposely tried to get lost. I enjoy taking new roads…not really sure where they might be leading me.

I love doing that in a car…I’m not real fond of the same experience when it comes to life. How about you?

Destination Unknown may be okay for a road trip…but when it comes to life…that’s a different story all together.

We tend to admire the great adventurers who have risked life itself to step into the unknown.

Columbus - in a day when everyone said the earth was flat…he set sail for India going in the opposite direction.

The men who walked on the moon.

I will never forget watching Felix Baumgartner jump from the edge of space…skydiving 24 miles…safely back to earth.

I admire his stepping out into the unknown…but that doesn’t mean I want to try it.

The thought of an unknown future can be terrifying. It’s the sort of thing that can keep you up at night. We may like surprise parties…but we don’t tend to enjoy life throwing us a surprise. We crave security, stability, and clarity.

We have a desire to know and control our futures. We are uncomforable in the space of the unknown. The unknown can be scary.

We want to know what is coming next and how that will affect our future. We want to be able to plan and be prepared for what’s coming next. We don’t like being in the dark. It’s the “not knowing” that can cause us to know stress on a first name basis.

We believe that if we know what to expect…it gives us a certain measure of control over our life. There are so many unknowns:

How long will I live?

How will things turn out?

Will I fall in love?

Will there be enough for me when I retire?

How will I take care of my kids and their college education?

What will happen if we get sick and don’t have insurance?

When will this social distancing stuff be over?

How are we going to pay our bills?

Will we still have a graduation?

Will I be laid off from work and what will I do if that happens?

The questions of the unknown go on and on and on…

Do you feel as though your on a destination unknown?

Maybe you just lost your job or have been laid off?

Perhaps you are going through the heartache and sorrow of a broken relationship?

Maybe your destination unknown is the beginning of retirement…or you’re beginning college soon…or you’re in the middle of a transition and the world seems to be falling apart all around you…and you’re not really sure how it’s all going to work out.

And…truth is…although you are trying your best to live by faith…you’re worried.

Jentezen Franklin: “Worry doesn’t make you weak…it makes you human.”

Worrying can be the biggest enemy of peace and joy in our life. I have serveral big “what ifs” in my life right now.

In a world where “visionaries” are praised…I typically I feel a bit like comedian Steven Wright who said, “I’m a Periphreal Visionary. I can see the future…but only way off to the side.”

Life is filled with unknowns…and that’s never going to change.

But there is a way to live life UNAFRAID OF AN UNKNOWN FUTURE.

You see…in the unknown…there is Someone who can be known…Someone who desires to be known. Someone that when you know them…you can face an unknown future unafraid.

Hebrews 11:8 (NLT) - “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and to go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.”

Hebrews 11:8 (MSG) - “By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going.”

Hebrews 11:8 is referencing Genesis 12.

Genesis 12:1 - “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you.”

Basically: Abram…leave everything your familiar with. Leave everything you’ve grown accostumed to. Leave everything that’s confortable and convenient. Walk away from your memories…your family…your security. Start walking and I’ll tell you when to stop.

This had to have been a huge shock…not just for Abram…but for those closest to him. Why? Because from the looks of things: Abe had it made right where he was.